Time Commitment? – One weekly meeting that I once heard described as a member’s “favorite club meeting of the week.” At these meetings, members pitch their weekly post. Although you don’t need to attend if it conflicts with your schedule, it is worth attending if only for the good times.

Big? – Not really. A solid medium size. However, it has the close-knit feel of a small club.

Who can join? – Anyone who identifies as a woman or any other marginalized gender.

Community? – Friendly. Accepting. Supportive. Close. Good place to receive feedback on ideas.

Testimonials:

Daniella Balarezo – “[The Rib] has truly helped me find my voice…I think it was a very welcoming space for a person with my identities, specifically as a queer Latina.”

Dana Schneider – “Joining The Rib, for me, was a lot like the process of someone growing facial hair as soon as they are able to. Much like a young boy referring to the sparse three hairs on his upper lip as a mustache, I had classified myself as “funny” before I had the comedic chops to back it up. But being in a space surrounded by some of the funniest people at Brown who believe in my ability and expose me to a diversity of humor has enabled me to will my little collection of errant hairs into something more presentable—not a full handlebar yet, but something I can groom for now.”

Caroline Zerilli – “As a transfer, writing for The Rib allowed me to meet awesome, funny women at Brown right off the bat. I also got to channel all of my anxious “WTF is Brown???” energy into something quasi-productive. Publishing your writing on The Rib is basically the ultimate form of validation that you never got from your parents. It forces people to say, ‘Okay, Caroline. I guess you really are funny.'”

Allie Arnold – “I wrote an article poking fun at all the Canada Goose jackets I see around campus and it got a big response—I think someone even wrote an angry Brown Bears Admirers Post about it and signed it “A Proud Canada Goose Owner,” which was pretty exciting. It’s great to use the Rib to talk about things that are bothering me in a humorous way, especially at a $70,000 a year university where only 41% of students receive need-based financial aid. Some of our writers like Nicole Martinez, Daniella Balarezo, and Katherine Oré-Girón have written hilarious articles tackling race, representation, and sexuality. I have so much love and respect for them and for everyone at the Rib.”

In Summary: The Rib is a smaller club with a relatively low time commitment, and joining is a great way to get some writing experience. Perhaps a bit disorganized at times, this club is not without its slight faults. However, at the first meeting of the year, many of them were addressed—for example, there was a push for writers to post more regularly—so it seems as though this is a club that is willing to evaluate and work with its imperfections. Overall, it seems worth joining if you’re interested in comedy and writing.